Chapter 1

---

My name is Ike.

I serve as the commander of the Undead Brigade, part of the Demon King's 7th Army Corps.

I am technically a reincarnated individual with memories from my previous life, but those memories hold little meaning.

What I need to focus on now is the changing battle situation.

"Lord Ike, it seems we can breach the city gates."

The male orc serving as my strategist said.

"Quicker than I expected."

"Yes, as per your instructions, we provided the trolls with destruction hammers."

"Was there no counterattack during that time?"

"Of course there was. They threw boiling oil at us."

"...That's unfortunate."

"Huh? Did you say something?"

No, I shook my head.

Dangerous, dangerous.

I am known as the Demon King's trusted blade, a title that even makes children cry and fall silent. If I show too much concern for my subordinates, I might be suspected.

I put on a seemingly impressed attitude and said,

"Make sure to tend to the wounded, starting with the most severely injured. They are important soldiers entrusted to us by the Demon King."

I said this and continued to give commands.

"Once the city gates are destroyed, form the next unit. We will breach the city."

"Yes! Which unit should we deploy? The skeleton soldiers are still intact."

"Skeleton soldiers lack mobility. They are useful for defense, but not for mobile warfare."

"Then, should we deploy the kobold unit?"

"They have mobility, but lack intelligence."

The orc strategist let out a lackluster "Ah..." and asked, "Then what should we do?"

I answered clearly.

"Right, gather a few elite members from the units. Trolls, orcs, goblins, and a few intelligent species."

"L-Lord Ike, you can't be serious."

"That's exactly what I mean. I will lead the charge and infiltrate the city."

The orc strategist looked shocked and said,

"T-That's too dangerous. We have already defeated many of them in the field and destroyed the city gates, but because of that, they might be like cornered rats. Charging in alone would be the height of recklessness."

"Reckless? Who are you talking to?"

I deliberately lowered my voice and intimidated him.

The orc strategist trembled in fear.

I gripped the 'Staff of the Ouroboros' in my right hand.

Then, I raised it high and cast a spell, releasing the 'Impact' magic on the rock in front of me.

The rock shattered into pieces, scattering in all directions.

"I am Ike, the Demon King's trusted blade. Do you think I will be outdone by mere humans?"

The orc's face turned pale, and he shook his head.

Satisfied with the scene, I had a subordinate bring me my horse.

It was a specially trained horse from the demon world, capable of carrying even a heavily armored troll.

I mounted it gracefully and said,

"Don't fall behind!"

Then, I charged into the city gates.

The city I am currently besieging, the Free City of Arsenam, is a trading city located in the center of the continent.

With a population of several thousand, it is believed to have accumulated considerable wealth, as befits a trading city. The Demon King's officers predicted as much.

Indeed, the stone-paved road leading to the lord's manor was impressive, and the scale of the merchant houses on the main street was significant.

But, I have to say—

Even if this city has accumulated vast wealth, what good would it do to plunder it?

A trading city generates wealth through trade.

It is easy to seize the treasure, but what do you do after that?

The Demon King's officers said,

"If they resist, we can kill all the residents and burn the city to the ground."

But if we do that, the city will no longer produce anything. It will become a mere ruin, a burden that will not generate even a single gold coin for the Demon King's army. Most of the officers, being incompetent, did not understand this.

If the officers of the Demon King's army don't understand, neither do the members of the Undead Brigade. They probably believe that humans can be killed endlessly and will keep coming back. It's not hard to imagine what would happen if such a group were to invade the city.

That's why I decided to charge in alone. However, when I saw a group of about 30 heavily armed infantry waiting in the city square,

"I might have made a mistake."

I thought.

There were simply too many.

No matter how much I am known as the Demon King's trusted blade, a powerful magician, the number was just too great.

‘Even I can't destroy this many soldiers without killing any of them.’

I thought this in my heart, and the result was the same in reality.

I cast the 'Impact' magic at the lowest level, but even with restraint, some would 'unfortunately' die.

I prayed for this one-sided battle to end quickly and began to eliminate the soldiers.